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Thursday, November 5, 2009.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Shannon de Ryhove.

Making headlines today:

The Department of Higher Education and Training reported that it would Gazette the one-year extension of the current sector education and training authority licensing process, from March 2010 to March 2011, following a consultation period, while also conducting a review of the Seta systems.

The announcement came after the government's skills development and training sector was incorporated into the Department of Higher Education and Training, on November 1.

Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande said that issues have been raised around reducing the number of Seta's currently operating, by combining certain Seta's. He said that that was precisely what they want to do from now on, until March 2011.

Nzimande said that although his department was looking at a possible reduction of the 23 Seta's, it wouldn't entirely dispose of them.

The South African National Roads Agency Limited, in its last auction for the year, raised 500-million-rand under its domestic medium term note programme, carrying a full guarantee from government, by tapping into its two bonds with maturities in 2020 and 2034.

Overall bids received during the auction totalled 846-million-rand.

Half-a-billion rand of bonds were allocated at market spreads of 0,65% and 0,655% over the RSA government benchmarks - tighter than the previous closing spreads.

Including the 9,95-billion-rand raised without a guarantee, Sanral has now raised 14,05-billion-rand of funding for the expansion and upgrade of its toll roads, particularly the Gauteng freeway improvement project, which is planned to be substantially completed before the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Also making headlines:

Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan says that President Jacob Zuma didn't interfere in the controversy surrounding Eskom CEO Jacob Maroga and the board of directors.
Construction group Esorfranki has been approached by the Competition Commission in an investigation into possible collusion around the geotechnical work done for the Gautrain rapid-rail link project.
Spain lends Angola 500-million-Euro to bolster trade between the two nations.
And, Gabon will open a new oil licensing round for over 40 blocks from two of its deepwater basins in May next year.

That's a round up of news making headlines today. For more on these and other stories please visit engineeringnews.co.za.

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